Ghislaine Maxwell Case Updates Dec 20 (Day 14: Closing Arguments)

posted 2 years ago by dem6nic 2 years ago by dem6nic +17 / -0

[c/o Inner City Press]

Previous Updates

1343GMT

Day of closing arguments begins, after AUSA Maurene Comey Sunday afternoon said public and press should not see the slides in real time.

Judge Nathan asks if the exhibits that have been withheld throughout the trial have at least been put in the public docket this morning. No - only on DOJ's USAfx password protected site. And no defense exhibits in sight.

Amid secrecy, lunch time for jurors is being discussed.

Judge Nathan: The government will go straight through "then an early lunch." The defense, then rebuttal, charge and deliberations possibly beginning today. A comfort break somewhere in there.

Judge Nathan: Stay a few minutes away, so Ms. Williams can reach you, if the jury has notes or a verdict.

Note: Inner City Press' immediately filing opposition to withholding of slides and all defense exhibit still not docketed. It's here: documentcloud.org/documents/2116… Judge Nathan: Anything else? The box is turned.

[That is, the speaker's box, so that the public can't see. Note: no problem without confidentiality / privacy of victims / survivors. But they are withholding ALL slides and demonstratives, and all defense exhibits]

[And note: SDNY Judge Rakoff, when Inner City Press requested in US v. Weigand (Eaze / Wirecard case), ordered that all exhibits, US and defense, be put on a public website, not just USAfx.]

While awaiting entry of jury & US argument, noting that yesterday after Inner City Press wrote to Judge Nathan, AUSA Comey and 2 on defense, suddenly exhibits from much earlier in the case were put onto USAfx, redacted, including Virginia Roberts' school records

There are also Epstein Victims Compensation Fund general releases, one for Annie Farmer and another with name redacted. And a long video Inner City Press is still belatedly downloading. Hide the ball until the last day, then put it up in redacted form

1408GMT

Jury enters

All rise!

[Ghislaine Maxwell is in a beige sweater today, at defense table with Bobbi Sternheim. In front row of gallery, Kevin Maxwell and, yes, Leah Saffian]

Judge Nathan: We'll break early for lunch, then we'll come back and hear Ms. Menninger. Then another break. Rebuttal by the government & instructions from me. Ms Moe?

AUSA Moe: Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous. She targeted a girl whose father had just died [Jane]

AUSA Moe: Maxwell ran the same playbook again and again. She groomed them. She caused deep and lasting harm to young girls. It is time to hold her accountable. [Maxwell flipping through papers, flipping hair].

AUSA Moe: You've heard from law enforcement officers

AUSA Moe: You've seen documents: phone messages, and a little black book with victims' names. This summation is our opportunity to explain who all this evidence fits together. Maxwell is guilty. Today I'm going to talk to you about 8 different reasons she's guilty

AUSA Moe: First, Maxwell and Epstein were partners. They were in a romantic relationship. Maxwell wrote this document. [Not show to public or press.]

AUSA Moe (reading from slide not shown to press or public) "A couple for 11 years... great partners... rarely apart... best of friends." Does that sound like a personal assistant? No.

AUSA Moe: When you're with someone for 11 years you know what they like. Epstein liked young girls. Epstein could not have done this alone. A single middle aged man inviting a girl to a ranch is creepy. That set of "alarm balls."

AUSA Moe: Maxwell as key - you saw photos how close they were. Let's look at those. [Not shown to press or public]

AUSA Moe: You are looking at Maxwell and Epstein swimming naked in a pool. [Not shown during closing - and otherwise redacted or withheld] Here she is massaging Epstein's feet with her breasts.

AUSA Moe: Look at this exhibit, GMax about lotions. [Not shown to press or public]. Here's Juan Alessi's testimony about washing off dildos and returning them to a basket in Maxwell's bathroom.

AUSA Moe: Let's turn to Annie. She was hoping to go to a good college. Kate, she was alone a lot. She was dazzled by this impressive woman who made her feel special. Jane has been sexually abused by family members; her mother was an alcoholic

AUSA Moe: Maxwell was hanging out with these girls alone. Annie told you when she got to New Mexico, she found herself along with Maxwell and Epstein. They were isolating these girls for a reason. They paid for Jane's voice lessons and tuition.

AUSA Moe: For Annie, it started with Maxwell telling her to rub Epstein's feet. For Jane, it was Maxwell topless by the pool and talking about boyfriends, escalating to sexualized massages on Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell touched 3 of the 4's breasts [Three of the four survivor / witnesses]. Jane told you; Maxwell did it to Annie too. Annie wanted to get off the massage table. Maxwell touched these girls' bodies. It's not an accident. It happened again and again and again.

AUSA Moe: Jane didn't become Epstein's so-called god-daughter by accident. Maxwell is guilty.

Here's what they did to Jane. This is Jane. [Photo not shown to press or public.] You learned of years of sexual abuse.

AUSA Moe: There are documents. Here's Jane's application to Interlochen [not shown to press or public]. There are flight logs. [Not shown during closing, perpetrators' names redacted along with victims in version belatedly provided]

AUSA Moe: She saw Maxwell topless by the pool. You know that, because now you've seen Maxwell topless by the pool. Jane told you how Epstein walked her to the pool house and he started masturb*ting on her. [Etc - this is in, but flight logs redacted [Once US closing has already begun, the jury charge is finally put into the docket - Inner City Press will review it asap, or other can

AUSA Moe: You saw in Jane's face how hard it was for her to talk about this. She had to touch Epstein's pen*s. There were hands everywhere. There was horrifying group encounters with other women. It wasn't just in Florida, but also in NY but private jet [by private jet, and commercial flights too]

AUSA Moe: There weren't any scholarship boys. No selection criteria beyond being a pretty, young, vulnerable girl. Jane was 14 and 15 and 16. He was use vibrat*ors...

AUSA: Here's the massage room in New York [not being shown to press or public] [Just uploaded 1 hour video of search warrant executed on Jeffrey Epstein residents belatedly made available, onto YouTube

AUSA Moe: Jane told Matt she had a godfather, that she had to do things she hadn't wanted to do it. That there was a woman who made her feel comfortable. Matt told you, "there was a woman in the house who made her feel comfortable." You know that's Maxwell.

AUSA Moe: You heard expert testimony from Doctor Rocchio. She's an expert. She told you, victims are less likely to tell the closer they are to the perpetrator. Maxwell was like a big sister to Jane.

AUSA Moe: Jane named five women who participated in group sex: Emmy, Kelly, Eva, Sophie and Michelle. The defense tried to undermine Jane on Eva and Michelle. But Jane never gave the last name. The black book had another Eva, and three Michelles. It was a sideshow

AUSA Moe: Annie told you how when Epstein touched her on the movie theater, he stopped when Maria was looking. Annie then flew to New Mexico, her mother thought it was about a scholarship.

AUSA Moe: Maxwell started ratcheting things up. Maxwell wanted to show Annie how to rub his feet. You saw the photo of Maxwell massaging Epstein's feet with her breast. This was not part of a mentoring program.

AUSA Moe: Maxwell was trying to normalize sex, because she was a predator. Maxwell insisted on giving Annie a massage, and touched her breasts. It was not therapeutic. This is not on the list of spa treatments anywhere.

AUSA: Mulligan remembered that Annie told him that Maxwell had bought her a pair of cowboy boots, and touched her breasts during the massage. In 2006 Annie told the FBI the same thing.

AUSA Moe: Now let's talk about Carolyn. She was introduced by Virginia Roberts. This is the same girl that Juan Alessi remembered, how at Mar-A-Lago Maxwell told him to pull over and went to talk to her.

AUSA Moe: Carolyn said Virginia told her how to make money, giving a massage to a wealthy man. Then Virginia and Epstein started having sex in front of her. This is the massage room. [Not shown to press or public.] This was not a place for therapeutic massages

AUSA Moe: Here by the master bedroom is a drawing of a young girl pulling down her underwear. Maxwell understood what was happening in that case. This was the beginning of years of sexual abuse. Sometimes Sarah Kellen would call Carolyn.

AUSA Moe: The phone messages corroborate Carolyn's testimony. [Moe sites Government Exhibit 608, which is not among those belatedly uploaded yesterday.]

AUSA Moe: All of the masseuses are female. Who needs this many masseuses? The notes say, Mom, Dad. None of this was legitimate... Here's the employment record at Mar-A-Lago of Sky Roberts, Virginia's dad.

AUSA Moe: Here's an entry, "Melissa, Carolyn's friend." This proves that Maxwell is guilty.

[In the front row of the gallery, both Kevin Maxwell and Isabel Maxwell are leaning over, looking at exhibits that were handed to them - but withheld from press and public]

AUSA Moe: In 2002, Epstein paid Maxwell $5 million... So it's a total of $30.7 million. Ask yourself, what was Maxwell doing for Epstein worth that? Epstein wanted to touch underage girls. Maxwell knew what the money was for.

AUSA Moe: Virginia Roberts was 17 and flying on the jet with Epstein and Maxwell. Virginia brought Carolyn to the Palm Beach house, when Carolyn was 14. It was a pyramid scheme of sex abuse.

AUSA Moe: The defense tried to tell you when Maxwell dated Ted Waitt, she was no longer around Epstein. False - she was still the lady of the house. Look at this manual.

AUSA Moe: There were no boys on Maxwell's list. She slept in a bedroom with a bathroom with lotions, and another bathroom where the dildos were stored. And Epstein paid Maxwell millions of dollars. She knew. She was complicit. She is guilty.

AUSA Moe: Let's talk about the charges, six counts. [Note: CourtListener still does not have the jury charge, which was only docketed on PACER this morning]

[Note - even now during the closing argument, with all slides and demonstrative withheld, searching in PACER for the jury charge, doesn't seem it's there, just a six page cover letter.

[Continued in Comments]

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– dem6nic [S] 3 points 2 years ago +3 / -0

[Continued]

AUSA Moe: Beyond the law, and venue, let me respond to what the defense has said. In their opening, Maxwell's counsel said Maxwell is being blamed for something a man did. But she made her own choices.

AUSA Moe: This case is about manipulating young girls. And the case was about money. Carolyn got a few hundred dollars, Maxwell got $30 million.

AUSA Moe: This trial was also about memory - you heard about trauma. They argue Maxwell was too busy to commit these crimes. But Maxwell had personal assistants, and a woman to walk her dog. She ordered sand to be delivered to Epstein's private island.

AUSA Moe: Their expert Elizabeth Loftus tried to convince people they say Bugs Bunny at Disney World. She admits she is an advocate for the defense. She's made a lot of money.[Does not mention Harvey Weinstein, or Robert Durst, etc]

AUSA Moe: The payments under the Epstein victims compensation fund are done, the witnesses have no financial stake in the outcome of this trial. They are corroborated, by Juan Alessi, Mulligan, and the witnesses called Matt and Shawn

AUSA Moe: There is only one conclusion, that Maxwell is guilty and you should convict her. Use your common sense. You will reach the only verdict consistent with the evidence: Maxwell in guilty.

1616GMT

Judge Nathan: We're going to take a lunch break.

Judge Nathan: No discussions about the case.

Bobbi Sternheim: The massage table coming from California is not enough [for interstate commerce]. We want a limiting instruction.

AUSA: We showed the listings in the list of masseuses of numbers for Mom and Dad.

Judge Nathan: I deny the motion for a mistrial.

Recess

1702GMT

Now defense closing by Laura Menninger.

Maxwell's lawyer Menninger: I am not here to defend Jeffrey Epstein. He is not my client. The US presented evidence like a sensational tabloid. Private island, photos. These were things that Epstein did, perhaps, his crimes. But Ghislaine Maxwell is not Epstein

Menninger: Where are the other 37,000 photographs? Who was in them? You don't know. They didn't bring you those photos. There were folders and binders. But they brought you the most innocuous photos of a couple that was once together.

Menninger: This is straight up sensationalism, your Honor, I mean, ladies and gentlemen. There's the lack of evidence. Jane hired Robert Glassman two weeks before she spoke to the FBI in 2019. The lawyers like Boies Schiller helped set up the Epstein victims fund

Menninger: Then there's the manipulation piece. We'll go through the stories of each witness. The stories have changed. Carolyn had a lawyer in 2008, a story about Epstein and Sarah Kellen who she also sued without mentioning Ghislaine Maxwell.

Menninger: Where are your boots that you say they bought you? We had to ask those questions. The truth was manipulated over time. They've made Ghislaine Maxwell to be Cruela DeVille and the Devil Wears Prada all rolled up in to one.

Menninger: The pilot told you Jane was a fully growth, mature woman. Ghislaine didn't entire her to travel. The US said she was "sometimes in the room when it happened." But Jane said she wasn't sure.

Menninger: Jane said she went to Epstein's house every week. But no one took the stand to say she spent time with Ghislaine. Who are these relatives? Annie's mom came; she said she never spoke to Maxwell.

Menninger: Larry the pilot said Jane was fully mature. No pilot testified he saw Carolyn, or Kate, or Annie. There was not culture of silence, you just got the sound of silence. One got a two time burglar with an ax to grind.

Menninger: They said you'd learn Ghislaine was in the room. But Jane can't remember. And there's no motive. They say a happy, educated woman in her 30s would end her career as a facilitator of sexual abuse - but where's the evidence? Epstein was a manipulator.

Menninger: Do you know Ghislaine's life style before Epstein, and after? Maybe it was Jeffrey who needed Ghislaine and her connection, and not the other way around.

Menninger: I want to talk about Jane's age. Her father died at 13 - tragic. But she's applying to go to an arts camp that cost $4000 per person. They didn't even apply for financial aid.

Menninger: We see her travel records, this person who says he was indigent - she traveled to Italy. There's a flight I'll show you [slides withheld from press and public] that shows Jane flew at earliest at 16.

Menninger: Jane got her dates wrong, in a case that's about dates, and about travel. This homeless Jane, traveling all over. She says she sang for Mike Wallace's 80th birthday. But she was 17 by then. She got it wrong.

Menninger: The government just said, We'll assume your first time to New York wasn't the Lion King data. Doctor Loftus said this is unlikely, this unremembering.

1750GMT

Menninger: She talked about group sexualized massages. You have a right to evidence. She gave names - none of these women called the police. They said "Sophie," blonde and pretty, married a race car driver. She said Eva joined in with Sophie.

Menninger: She walks about Emmy and Michelle. They now say it could be any old Michelle. Jane said it's the Michelle who hung out with Emmy. Michelle said, I'm a housewife. This is a pattern of Jane picking names out of people she met in Epstein's world

Menninger: She told you she met Donald Trump. But she has her time frame wrong. She's trying to insert Ghislaine into the story after the fact. Her lawyer Glassman told her it would help get money.

Menninger: She says she was in a movie called Five Monkeys. But there is no movie called 5 Monkeys. There is a movie called 12 Monkeys. And she claimed that hand holding was sexual abuse. She went to New York mostly to see her sister. Ghislaine was nowhere around.

Menninger: There is no mention of Ghislaine Maxwell in Annie's diaries. Epstein was not in the room when she got the massage. She told the compensation fund that her breasts were gropes. She got $1.5 million. What is the evidence of what Ghislaine Maxwell knew?

Menninger: If we had Annie's journals we might know. But we don't, so we don't. Maybe she just got it wrong. By a year. Meaning she's 17, when she went there. When did she go to Thailand? The records say she was 18, through Dusseldorf. Her mother was there.

Menninger: Now let's talk about the boots. She said the government didn't ask for them in 2006. You'll have the boots with you back in the deliberation room, you'll see how worn they are.

Menninger: Where is the chef from the ranch? Where are her diaries? What you got is a photograph of the front and back of a diary, and few pages. But not the rest. Ms. Farmer told you she met Boies Schiller when she was going to be a witness in Roberts' case.

Menninger: Kate filled out a U visa application for exceptional people. She said she is exceptional - she's a music therapist. She says she's using a pseudonym because of her child. But she used her own name in court after Epstein's death.

Menninger: Kate claims she met Ghislaine Maxwell in London, when she was younger than 17. The said "the house with the red door," look at it, across from the Nag's Head Pub. [Slide withheld from Press and public]

Menninger: Let's talk about Carolyn. She says she saw a photograph of Ghislaine Maxwell pregnant. But no one else saw this. Money. The first time Maxwell is accused of anything by Carolyn was during the compensation process.

1833GMT

Menninger: Let's talk about Shawn, her ex boyfriend, with his felony convictions. Carolyn tried to minimize her drug abuse. But Shawn told you they were abusing marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs. They shared a phone, calls from Kellen and Epstein

Menninger: Let's talk about Dr Rocchio, the ultimate victim apologist. She's not trained to question accusers accounts. There was no evidence Ghislaine Maxwell groomed anyone. Kate was dating a man Maxwell's age.

Menninger: The government has no basis to say that Ghislaine Maxwell wrote the document about her relationship with Epstein, told in the third person. There's no proof.

Menninger: And why didn't Virginia Roberts testify? If she could corroborate what Carolyn told you, don't you think she would have? Why would a proper Oxford educated woman do this?

Menninger: Larry the pilot said sure he signed a Non Disclosure Agreement, people don't want talk about famous people flying on the plane, like Bill Clinton and John Glenn...

Menninger: Epstein put his helicopter in the name of Air Ghislaine. That would correspond to the $7 million. Rich people do that. Epstein was generous. He was building a lodge at Interlochen that was handicapped accessible.

Menninger: Certainly no one from JP Morgan told you what the money was for... Judge Nathan: Ms. Menninger, we're just going to take a real quick stretch break. [Ghislaine Maxwell stands up, stretches, sits down]

Menninger: Mr. Alessi told you when women other than Ghislaine visited, he would take her photo down -- Oops, I got ahead of myself Check out the flight logs for yourself. [Press and public can't, and challenge not docketed]

Menninger: Mr. Alessi was not doing a good job. Does being a tough boss make you an enforcer of a code of silence? He doesn't really authenticate the black address book. Where are the other staff?

Menninger: Mr. Alessi told you a story that was not true. That he broke in to help someone. But it was to steal a gun. He broke in twice. You can't trust this man's word.

Menninger: Memory doesn't work like a tape recorder, that you could rewind and just hit play. None of these interviews were recorded. They all had a plan to get money.

Menninger: The government would ask again and again, are you sure there was no sexual abuse in New Mexico? Doctor Dubin was solid on what she did not have the group sex alleged.

Menninger: Counts 2 and 4 rely on Jane entirely. If you don't believe her, drop the counts Count 6 relies on Carolyn. If you don't believe her, drop the count.

1913GMT

Menninger: Ghislaine is being tried here for being with Jeffrey Epstein. Maybe it was the bigger mistake of her life. But it is not a crime. Acquit her.

Judge Nathan: Let's take a break.

AUSA: We want a curative instruction. Ms. Menninger read from an email that was precluded.

Judge Nathan: The curative instruction you are asking for is in the charge.

Now AUSA Maurene Comey's rebuttal summation - with all slides and demonstratives withheld from Press and public.

AUSA Comey: Ghislaine Maxwell touched three witnesses breasts. The defense tried to get you to look way through the massive amount of evidence Ms. Moe walked you through this morning [all slides and demonstratives withheld from public and Press]

Now AUSA Maurene Comey has started her 35 minutes rebuttal.

AUSA Comey: You saw it in this exhibit [withheld] - who needs that many massages? She was in the room, she knew. The $30 million is "we molested kids together" money.

AUSA Comey: People who prey on children do not leave behind documents. The defendant was not walking out of massage rooms and writing a memo, Today I touched Jane's breasts.

AUSA Comey: Look at the flight logs [we'd like it], Epstein flying to New Mexico, then leaving a year later with Ms. Maxwell. Ms. Menninger was trying to mislead you.

AUSA Comey: The defense's own expert Professor Loftus said, Some things you never forget, moments that change your life. Imagine you had to remember Thanksgiving from years ago. Turkey happens every time.

AUSA Comey: Which would out more, how old you were on Mike Wallace's birthday? Or how old you were when a middle-aged man molested you? All the defense can argue is she was 16 nor 14 when I touched her breasts. It's still a crime.

[Continued in Reply]

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– dem6nic [S] 3 points 2 years ago +3 / -0

[Continued]

1956GMT

AUSA Comey: It's like the stuffing at Thanksgiving - there every time. Look at these photos [we can't, at AUSA Comey's request.] Carolyn named Maxwell as one of 2 people who would set up the massages. She told Shawn, that she couldn't pronounce the name.

AUSA Comey: There is not a shred of evidence that a group of lawyers got together and made up a story about Maxwell. The lawyers got their money before this trial started.

AUSA Comey: Why would the ex-boyfriends come here and lie to you? And Alessia - the defense tried to dirty him up. But he admitted he stole. He has no reason to lie.

AUSA Comey: If they wanted to frame Maxwell they would have put way deeper in. No. They testified for justice. ... The defendant is guilty.

Judge Nathan: Thank you Ms. Comey. I will now read the charge.

Jury charge available here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21165303-finaljurychargeicp

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– Takebackourplanet 1 point 2 years ago +1 / -0

Even if she is convicted, there is no smoking gun here. What about the horrors at Epstein island? What about blackmail? This is just under-age call girl stuff. Meh. Who cares if she was 14 or 16? It’s not like torturing babies for kicks.

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